Feb 06 2025 50 mins
How can indigenous wisdom transform our understanding of fear, love, and courage, and guide us toward a more harmonious existence?
Host Liz Logan speaks with Don Jacobs (Four Arrows), a former dean of education and indigenous wisdom teacher, about transforming fear into courage and ultimately fearlessness through indigenous perspectives. Jacobs shares his profound near-death experience in Mexico's Copper Canyon, which led him to deeper understanding of indigenous wisdom and the development of the CAT FAWN connection (Concentration Activated Transformation - Fear, Authority, Words, and Nature). The conversation explores how indigenous cultures view love as an action rather than a noun, and emphasizes the critical importance of recognizing human interconnectedness with nature. The episode concludes with Jacobs redefining hope through Sitting Bull's wisdom - not as optimism for a positive outcome, but as certainty in doing what's right regardless of results - followed by a moving Native American flute performance.
Wahinkpe Topa (Four Arrows), aka Don Trent Jacobs, Ph.D., Ed.D., is a former Dean of Education at Oglala Lakota College and a renowned author in the fields of counter-hegemonic education and decolonizing Indigenous worldviews. Recognized as one of 27 visionaries in education by AERO, he received a Moral Courage Award from NAU's Martin Springer Institute for his pro-Indigenous activism. Now retired from academia, he teaches self-hypnosis, spiritual awareness, and Kinship worldview through his CAT-FAWN Connection. He currently resides in Punta Perula, Mexico, where he enjoys playing music in a band.
In this episode:
- (00:00) Liz explains how the podcast name came to her during meditation and discusses its focus on understanding love as our highest vibrational frequency and true essence
- (04:04) Don Jacobs shares an indigenous perspective on love, explaining how indigenous languages are verb-based and focus on love as an action rather than a noun
- (06:00) Don shares his personal journey, including his experiences in the Marine Corps, near-death experience in Mexico's Copper Canyon, and subsequent spiritual awakening
- (14:03) The CAT FAWN connection (Concentration Activated Transformation - Fear, Authority, Words, and Nature) and explains its significance in indigenous wisdom
- (28:14) Special video replay, the critical need to recognize our interconnectedness with nature and the consequences of anthropocentrism
- (40:00) Bioluminescent sand and ocean experience, Trader John’s piano memory
- (43:38) Redefining hope from an indigenous perspective, sharing Sitting Bull's wisdom that hope is the certainty of doing what's right regardless of outcome, followed by a Native American flute performance
- (59:21) Closing questions
- Subscribe, like, and send us your comments and ideas for future episodes!
Resources:
Don Jacobs/Four Winds LinkedIn
Don Jacobs/Wahinkpe Topa Books
Restoring the Kinship Worldview: Indigenous Voices Introduce 28 Precepts for Rebalancing Life on Planet Earth